Ministerial offices 2012–⁠2024

Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
In office 13 June 2022 – 14 May 2024 Serving with Heng Swee Keat
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Tharman Shanmugaratnam Teo Chee Hean
Succeeded by	Gan Kim Yong
Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore
In office 8 July 2023 – 14 May 2024
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Succeeded by	Gan Kim Yong
Minister for Education
In office 27 July 2020 – 14 May 2021
Preceded by	Ong Ye Kung
Succeeded by	Chan Chun Sing
Second Minister for Finance
In office 22 August 2016 – 14 May 2021 Serving with Indranee Rajah (from 2018)
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Lim Hwee Hua (2011)
Succeeded by	Chee Hong Tat (2024)
Minister for National Development
In office 1 October 2015 – 26 July 2020
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Khaw Boon Wan
Succeeded by	Desmond Lee
Second Minister for Communications and Information
In office 1 May 2014 – 30 September 2015
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth
In office 1 May 2014 – 30 September 2015 Acting: 1 November 2012 – 30 April 2014
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Chan Chun Sing (Acting Minister of Community Development, Youth and Sports)
Succeeded by	Grace Fu

Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC

Incumbent

Assumed office
11 September 2015

Preceded by

Constituency established

Majority

51,862 (46.96%)

Member of the Singapore Parliament
for West Coast GRC

In office
7 May 2011 – 24 August 2015

Preceded by

Ho Geok Choo

Succeeded by

Patrick Tay

Personal details

Born

Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai

18 December 1972 (age 52)
Singapore

Political party

People's Action Party

Spouse

Loo Tze Lui

Education

Occupation

Civil servant
politician

Profession

Economist

Signature

Chinese name

Simplified Chinese

黄循财

Traditional Chinese

黃循財

Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Huáng Xúncái
Wade–Giles	Huang² Hsün²-tsʻai²
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	Wòhng Chèuhnchòih
Jyutping	Wong⁴ Ceon⁴-coi⁴

Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai (born 18 December 1972) is a Singaporean politician and economist. He is currently the Prime Minister of Singapore, a role he took on in 2024. He has also been the Minister for Finance since 2021.

Mr. Wong is a member of the People's Action Party (PAP), which is the ruling political party in Singapore. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC since 2015. Before that, he was an MP for the West Coast GRC from 2011 to 2015.

Before becoming a politician, Mr. Wong worked as a civil servant in various government ministries. He was also the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Energy Market Authority (EMA). He first entered politics in the 2011 Singaporean general election. Over the years, he has held several important ministerial positions. These include Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Minister for National Development, and Minister for Education.

Mr. Wong played a key role in Singapore's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore. He co-chaired a special committee to manage the situation. As Minister for Finance, he has overseen changes to the Goods and Services Tax (GST). In 2022, he was chosen to lead the PAP's next generation of leaders. This made him the likely successor to former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. He became Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore in June 2022. On 15 May 2024, Lawrence Wong was sworn in as Singapore's fourth Prime Minister. He is the first Prime Minister born after Singapore gained independence in 1965.

Early Life and Education
Working for the Government
Political Journey
Prime Minister (2024–present)
- International Relations
Personal Life
See also

Early Life and Education

Lawrence Wong was born on 18 December 1972, in the eastern part of Singapore. He grew up in a public housing flat in Marine Parade. His father, who was from Hainan, worked as a sales executive. His mother was a teacher at his primary school. When he was a child, his father gave him a guitar, and he developed a love for music.

He attended Haig Boys' Primary School and Tanjong Katong Technical School. He then went to Victoria Junior College. After that, he studied in the United States. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1994. He received a scholarship for this. He later got a Master of Arts in applied economics from the University of Michigan in 1995. In 2004, he completed a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University.

Working for the Government

Mr. Wong started his career as an economist in the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) in 1997. This was during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. His first job was to write a report on how regional economies affected Singapore. He said this experience taught him a lot on the job.

He later worked at the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the Ministry of Health (MOH). From 2005 to 2008, he was the main private secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. In 2009, he became the chief executive officer of the Energy Market Authority. He held this role until 2011.

Political Journey

Wong with Japanese Minister of Finance Shun'ichi Suzuki in May 2023

Lawrence Wong entered politics in the 2011 Singaporean general election. He was part of the People's Action Party (PAP) team for the West Coast GRC. His team won, and he became a Member of Parliament (MP).

Early Ministerial Roles

In May 2011, Mr. Wong was appointed Minister of State for Defence and Minister of State for Education. He also joined the board of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. In 2012, he was promoted to Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts, and for Education.

Later, he became the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth. He helped Singapore's bid for the Singapore Botanic Gardens to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. He also introduced free museum entry for all Singaporeans and permanent residents. In 2013, he announced a new S$100 million National Youth Fund to support youth projects.

Becoming a Full Minister

In May 2014, Mr. Wong was promoted to Minister for Culture, Community and Youth. He also became Second Minister for Communications and Information. He led the team coordinating Singapore's Golden Jubilee Year celebrations (SG50).

As Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, he worked on transforming the Civic District. He also introduced the S$200 million Cultural Matching Fund. This fund helps arts and heritage charities by matching donations they receive.

In the 2015 Singaporean general election, Mr. Wong's PAP team won in the new Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC. He also chaired the committee for the 2015 Southeast Asian Games. He launched "ActiveSG," a national movement to encourage sports. This program gives Singaporeans credits to use for sports activities and access to sports facilities.

On 1 October 2015, he became the Minister for National Development. In this role, he was responsible for housing policies. In August 2016, he also became Second Minister for Finance.

Leading During COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Mr. Wong and Gan Kim Yong were appointed to co-chair a special government committee. This committee managed Singapore's response to the pandemic. In March 2020, he became emotional in Parliament while thanking frontline workers. He praised healthcare workers and those in cleaning, transport, and security for keeping Singapore running.

In the 2020 Singaporean general election, Mr. Wong's team again won in Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC. In July 2020, he became Minister for Education. In November that year, he was elected to the PAP's Central Executive Committee.

In May 2021, he became Minister for Finance. In this role, he announced plans to increase Singapore's Goods and Services Tax (GST) from 7% to 9% over 2023 and 2024. He also announced support packages to help Singaporeans with rising living costs.

Becoming Deputy Prime Minister

Wong with acting United States Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland in October 2023

On 14 April 2022, Mr. Wong was chosen to lead the PAP's fourth generation (4G) team. This made him the likely successor to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. He received strong support from his Cabinet colleagues.

On 6 June 2022, Mr. Wong was promoted to Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. This further confirmed his position as the next leader. He also became "Acting Prime Minister" when Prime Minister Lee was away. In June 2022, he launched the "Forward Singapore" movement. This initiative aims to build a society that benefits everyone.

Prime Minister (2024–present)

Lawrence Wong was officially sworn in as Singapore's fourth Prime Minister on 15 May 2024. The ceremony took place at The Istana. He made history as the first Prime Minister born after Singapore gained its independence in 1965.

In his first speech as Prime Minister, Mr. Wong promised to serve all Singaporeans with all his heart. He said he would always look for better ways to improve Singapore. His mission is to continue making Singapore a successful nation. On 4 December 2024, he was elected as the Secretary-General of the People's Action Party.

International Relations

As Prime Minister, Mr. Wong has begun making official visits to other countries. His first overseas trips were to Brunei and Malaysia in June 2024. He also attended his first ASEAN Meeting and Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. He participated in the APEC and G20 Meetings in Peru and Brazil.

Personal Life

Lawrence Wong is married to Loo Tze Lui. She works in wealth management and used to be a banker. He does not have children. He is a Methodist Christian. His elder brother is an aerospace engineer. Mr. Wong enjoys playing the guitar and riding motorcycles as hobbies.

Lawrence Wong facts for kids

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